Frequently Asked Questions about the Fostering Assessment and Approval Process

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1 Frequently Asked Questions about the Fostering Assessment and Approval Process 1. Information to be included in stage 1 of the assessment Pages 6 and 7 of statutory guidance on the assessment and approval of foster carers sets out what information is collected as part of stage 1 of the assessment. The guidance can be found here: ssment%20and%20approval%20of%20foster%20carers%20final.pdf Fostering services should bear in mind the principle that stage 1 of the assessment is about fact checking (e.g. references, health status, suitability of accommodation, details of household members, criminal records, previous applications to foster, adopt, details of current/previous relationships). 2. Information to be included in stage 2 of the assessment Pages 8 of statutory guidance on the assessment and approval of foster carers sets out what information is collected as part of stage 2 of the assessment. The guidance can be found here: ssment%20and%20approval%20of%20foster%20carers%20final.pdf Fostering services should bear in mind that relative to stage 1, stage 2 of the assessment is a more detailed assessment of a person s suitability to provide foster care for children the service provides placements for. 3. When does a fostering assessment start? The assessment starts as soon as an enquirer (the applicant ) indicates (whether verbally or in writing) that they would like to be considered for approval to foster. This could, for example, be on the first phone contact, or it could be at a later point if

2 the enquirer is initially only seeking information and is not sure if they would like to be considered for approval to foster. If a person indicates that they would like to be considered for approval to foster, but their offer is not compatible with the fostering service s current recruitment objectives (e.g. the applicant wishes to foster babies but the service is currently only recruiting foster carers for teenagers), the fostering service may decide not to proceed to an assessment (and might suggest the applicant try another fostering service). Otherwise, when a person indicates that they would like to be considered for approval to foster, the fostering service should begin the assessment. 4. What can the fostering provider do if they consider the applicant is unsuitable during stage 1 of the assessment? Stage 1 of the assessment can be terminated at any time after it has begun if the applicant is deemed unsuitable due to stage 1 information (up until stage 1 ends, which is, at the latest, 10 days after all stage 1 information has been received). If an applicant is deemed unsuitable to foster during stage 1, the applicant must be informed that the assessment has been terminated, given reasons for this and told that they may complain via the fostering service s complaints mechanism if they are unhappy with the way their case has been handled. The complaints process should address whether or not the applicant s case has been handled in a reasonable way, rather than the question of the applicant s suitability to foster. 5. Can a qualifying determination (QD) be made under stage 2 if stage 1 has not been completed? Yes. If a person is deemed unsuitable to foster due to stage 2 (rather than stage 1) information, a brief report can be submitted, even if stage 1 is not yet complete. If, following a brief report, the decision maker determines that the assessment should be terminated, this is a qualifying determination (i.e. the applicant has the option of making representations to the provider or seeking a review by the independent review mechanism - the decision maker must take account of any new recommendation when reaching their final decision about whether to terminate the assessment).

3 Services should note that a full report can only be submitted once stages 1 and 2 of the assessment have both been completed. 6. What is meant by particulars of children in the applicant s family [whether or not they are members of the household]? Particulars of children in the applicant s family (whether or not they are members of the household) (referred to in part 1 of schedule 3 of the regulations) would include matters such as how many children, where they are living, their ages, any particular needs they have, etc. It includes information about children that don t live in the same house as the applicant, as well as children that do. 7. Do references received from adult children living elsewhere about the applicants come under Stage 1? There is no statutory requirement to obtain references from adult children of the applicant. If references have been sought from adult children, however, these can be considered under stage Are details of children's health over 16 included in Stage 1? Yes 9. Stage 1: The supporting medical report is that from the GP or medical advisor? The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 (FSR) only specify that, as part of their stage 1 assessment of a person s suitability to foster, the fostering service provider must obtain Details of health (supported by a medical report) with respect to the applicant. They do not say who should provide the medical report (though, of course, fostering services will want to ensure it is provided by a suitably qualified person). 10. Stage 2: Fostering Services sometimes put applicants on-hold if they judge that it s not suitable for them to progress at the current time (specific issues). Can the applicant insist on going to panel? No, an applicant cannot insist on their assessment report being submitted to the fostering panel. If they are unhappy with the way the fostering service provider has handled their case they can complain about it to the fostering service.

4 11. What happens if a connected person has been temporarily approved to foster under reg 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010, a child is in placement, but assessment for approval to foster under the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 reveals that the person is not suitable to foster? The policy intention behind temporary approval of a connected person to foster a named child, is to enable a child s relative, friend, etc., to care for them quickly where (a) the child s local authority assesses this to be the most appropriate placement for the child and (b) there is insufficient time to carry out a full assessment of the connected person s suitability to foster under the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 (FSR). However, an assessment under the FSR should begin as soon as possible once a person has been temporarily approved. If stage 1 of the assessment under the FSR indicates that the person is unsuitable to foster, the assessment can be terminated according to the stage 1 process (see the response to question 4). If the applicant is considered unsuitable part way through stage 2, a brief report can be submitted and the decision maker may determine that the assessment should be terminated. If a connected person temporarily approved to foster and with a child in placement is now considered unsuitable to foster due to an assessment under the FSR, a care planning meeting should be quickly convened to determine the best plan for the child. If there are safeguarding concerns, the child should be removed from the placement immediately. If there are no safeguarding concerns, the child should be moved to a new placement in a planned way that minimises the stress for the child. As soon as the child has been removed, the connected person s temporary approval to foster should be revoked. Before determining that a person is unsuitable to foster a child they are connected with, the local authority should consider what consequences removing the child from the carer will have for the child. If there are good reasons for thinking that the child would benefit from remaining with the connected person, the local authority should consider whether support, e.g. training, could enable the connected person to meet the threshold for approval to foster and so enable the child to stay placed with the

5 carer. However, if the carer is not able to meet the threshold for approval to foster despite support their temporary approval must be terminated as indicated above. Fundamental to the assessment of a connected person to be a foster carer will be consideration of the carer s capacity to provide a level of parenting to meet the child s particular needs within the requirements of the care plan, including the placement plan. The child s core assessment and care plan will have identified his or her developmental needs, and the carer s parenting capacity should be assessed in relation to those dimensions as described in the Assessment Framework. Family and friends foster carers must be in a position to meet the child s assessed needs, bearing in mind that those needs will often be greater than for other non-looked after children of a similar age. The circumstances of the child s own parents should be identified and the likely impact on the capacity of the family member or friend to provide adequate care assessed. The carer s past experiences of parenting will need to be assessed as part of a fuller picture of their capacity to care for the child. It may be that the looked after child s parent has been the only family member to experience difficulties, or these may have been part of a broader pattern within the family. The carers may be able to draw positive learning out of previous difficult experiences and it will be important to understand their level of insight into these.